


illusion

by Hexy_Lext



Category: Just Shapes & Beats (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, Venom AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-10-12 13:14:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20564927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hexy_Lext/pseuds/Hexy_Lext
Summary: a venom themed AU story that i had roleplayed with my friend in the JSaB world and my friend was amazing enough to write the story up, i'll update one day after she posts each chapter. please go give my friend the credit and love she deserves. feel free to leave a kudos and commentwriter - https://qwertythepopstarian08.tumblr.com/





	1. Noxakuma Timores

Blixer stumbled into the house, holding his stomach. He tossed a duffle bag onto the couch, wincing as the sound of shattered glass rang out. His eye flickered and flashed wildly, his own magic seeming to have a mind of his own as he struggled to merely shut the door, his hands shaking severely. He staggered into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water from the freezer. The cold blast of air hit him suddenly, making his tail coil up in discomfort.

The pain made him shudder. He once loved the cold, and now, he could barely handle the chill of the freezer. Deciding against the ice water, Blixer trudged into the living room, stealing a loathsome glance at the duffle bag, before he sighed. As soon as he let his guard down, his control was stolen away, and he forced himself to avoid screaming, a stifled squeak escaping him as he reached for the bag, grabbing something from one of the side pockets.

He pulled out his phone, shuddering at the bright light that assaulted his retinas. He blinked tears out of his eyes, his entire form seeming to glitch and stutter… perhaps even shift….  
“Okay… recording this so that I have… p-p-proof….” His voice was shaky with fear, and he felt like his body was going to shatter. His eye glitched, then split into two. Forcing back a scream, Blixer winced and pressed the record button. “Oh… oh Treeangle…. I thought it was just a bite… but it was much worse.”

He was glad that Tio was working the night shift at the hospital tonight, or else he’d have to see him in this pitiful state…  
Something told him not to follow that odd light. He’d just been walking home from the store, when a strange glow flickered in the corner of his eye. As soon as he followed it, he was attacked by a beast. It dug its fangs into his core just as it fell to dust, and Blixer knew that his life would now take a dark turn.  
“H-hello world…” He coughed violently. A strange black liquid sputtered from his mouth, dribbling down his chin. It burned on contact, and Blixer cringed, fumbling with the phone. “M-my name’s Anix Blixer Fresh… and I think I turned into a demon…”

  
A sudden wave of nausea hit his system, and he groaned, reaching up to trace the fangs that had ripped from his gums, replacing his normal teeth. He looked into the camera, breathing heavily as tears welled up in his eyes.  
“I just…. Shattered someone…. Blight it… I’m a monster.”  
It hurt to move. The monster inside of him was trying to break free… He winced, whispering into the phone as his control slipped away.  
“I can’t control it….” He whimpered. “Please… if anyone finds this…”  
There was a loud crack as something tore the back of his jacket. Blixer glanced behind himself, seeing a row of spiny protrusions that had emerged from his back…. Spikes. He looked back into the camera, his eyes wide with fear.  
“Run…”

~~~

Doctor Tio Fresh sat in his office, writing paperwork with a bored expression.

The day, no… the whole week had been quite subpar in activity. The only appointments that anyone had made had been for recurring or chronic illnesses. While he couldn’t rightly say that he’d like to see more people getting sick, he had to admit that he was bored of the uneventful schedule. There was a certain exhilaration that came with saving someone’s life. In all his years as a surgeon, he’d never lost a patient, a feat that none of his colleagues could claim.  
His grip tightened on his pencil, and his eye twitched as a single name came to mind, ruining his mood.  
Well… one other doctor could claim this.  
His rivalry with Doctor Barracuda Chorus was merely an internalized need to improve himself. There was no malice behind it. He had to assure himself of this, shaking his head and sighing as he continued his work.  
A knock at the door piqued his attention instead, and he lightly sighed, placing the pencil down and preparing to stand to get the door.  
“Who is-?”

He was cut off as he door suddenly slammed open, as if kicked. His most trusted nurse, a young adult blossom named Leyland, burst through the door, looking quite frantic. She barely managed to carry all the messily stacked papers she was holding, dropping them all on the desk before Tio… ruining his carefully organized work. Before he could even get annoyed, Tio felt a pang of worry go through his core. Out of all the nurses, Leyland had the most sensible demeanor. For her age, she had the most level-headed personality… but now, she seemed like she would faint at any given moment.  
“Leyland?” he questioned. His voice was laced with concern. “What’s wrong?”

  
Once again, the blossom had an outburst. She began to wheeze, as if out of breath, the petals around her head drooping.  
“Doc… we’ve got… an emergency!” Her dark green eyes were manic with fear, and Tio could nearly hear her heart racing. “It’s chaos. I’ve never seen anything like it!”  
The square felt his own core quicken its pace, and he frowned, trying to remain calm, if only to reassure Leyland.  
“Please, breathe, Ley… deep breaths.” A twinge of humor lilted in his voice. “No need to treat a fainted blossom on top of this so-called emergency.”

  
Leyland frowned, slamming a hand on the desk.  
“This isn’t the time for jokes!” She held up one of the papers she’d haphazardly delivered, snarling. “Fifteen trauma patients were just admitted in the last hour.”  
Tio’s eyes widened. He stood suddenly, already grabbing for his lab coat.  
“Excuse me?” He shook his head. “Was there an earthquake? An attack?” He growled, “I need all surgeons and anesthesiologists on duty. Now. We’re dealing with a real sicko…"  
Leyland’s frantic state worsened, and she shook her head, picking up a medical report.  
“That’s the mystery! The other nurses say it was some sort of animal attack…. All of the victims had different wounds, but one constant stood.” Leyland paused, showing Tio the attached photo. “Every patient that was admitted in the last twenty-four hours had massive bite or claw marks along the neck and stomach area.”

  
Tio narrowed his eyes, thinking. He clapped his hands together, recalling a crucial detail.  
“Whatever this is… it’s going for the core.” He opened the door for Leyland, following her down the hallway leading to the ICU. “This was no accident. It’s likely a pack of wolves…”  
Leyland started to shake. “But… we analyzed the size and shape of the bite wounds. It’s not a wolf… every mark was vastly different from each other… but none of them matched the tooth structures of any predatory animal in the area.”  
Tio muttered a half-hearted blight under his breath, then froze.  
“What about predatory shapes?” He didn’t want to think that any of the carnivorous sentients in the area would resort to such a thing, but… it wasn’t too far fetched. “Have there been any homicide reports?”  
Once again, the nurse shook her head. “That’s a negative.” She seemed to be regaining her bearings, taking a deep breath before continuing. “It’s like… we’re dealing with a shapeshifter…” She chuckled lightly, bitterly even. “But we know that’s not possible…”  
Tio seemed to have lapsed into a hollow, focused state, his gaze distant as he looked over the papers he’d been given. “What’s that… black liquid?”

On each instance of a bite wound, a thick, dark liquid covered the areas where the teeth had pierced flesh. Some of the flesh looked like it had been burned, as if the liquid was an acid.  
“It was found coating the wounds of the shapes who were bitten. We think it’s some sort of venom.” She shrugged, “One of the nurses said it was a prion, the receptionist guessed a slime fungus… we’ve got a lot of guesses, but it’s some sort of neurotoxin.”  
Tio narrowed his eyes. Turning to Leyland, he paused, frowning. “And the effects?”  
“It’s a corrosive acid with psychoactive effects… prolonged exposure caused the affected victims to become agitated and even fearful for no given reason… some of them even started to hallucinate.”  
“So, it’s like a drug.” Tio shook his head, incredulous. He stopped in front of a door leading to the ICU, huffing. “So, this… monster… for lack of a better word, gets its victims high on fear…”  
Leyland finished, “So it can take advantage of their disorientation to attack.” She shook her head, leaning against the wall to steady herself. “The corrosive agents deteriorated the cells of the victims… slowly killing them…. Turning what could have been a minor bite wound into a festering hole.”  
“Like a giant brown recluse…” Tio smirked, “It’s kind of genius… in a twisted little way.” He shook his head, glancing over the gruesome reports once more. “Leyland… I need to go home… and look these over… can’t focus in a panicked hospital.” He put a hand on her shoulder, staring into her eyes with utmost trust. “Can I trust you to hold down the fort?”

Leyland hesitated, shuddering. She could feel her anxiety flaring up, yet she felt herself nodding robotically, almost unable to deny Tio’s request. She forced a smile.  
“Y-yeah…” Her grin dropped, however, when she seemed to recall something. She reached into her pocket, handing Tio one last paper. “My little cousin was one of the victims… they wanted you to see this…”

She trailed off as Tio stepped back and unfolded the paper. His eyes darted across the page, widening slightly as he bit his lip, conflicted. He glanced at Leyland, concerned. The paper described what Tio would’ve thought to be a nightmare, had the circumstances been different. But he could practically feel the pure terror coming from the eight-year-old’s scribbled anecdote. Even written in crayon, the description of the beast was gruesome.  
“It had four red eyes and big, scary wings…. I was really scared, I didn’t think it had a mouth at first, but then its face split open, and it tried to eat me!”  
Tio started to shake with rage, crumpling up the paper in his hands.  
“Is this what they saw?”  
She nodded. “It only scratched them… and then ran off…” She stared to back away, heading off towards one of the offices, likely to page the off-duty surgeons. “Howl said it smelled like… burning oil…. If that helps at all.”  
Tio’s blank stare faltered, and he smiled. “Yes… thank you for the… report.” He stuffed the paper into his pocket, holding back a growl. “I’ll start comparing the evidence as soon as I get home… I just have to…” He looked away. “Check on someone.”  
Leyland gave a mock salute and rushed off, nearly tripping as she went. Tio watched her go, his expression taut with conflict. He sighed, returning to his office to gather his things.


	2. Dead Meat

A winged creature sat on the edge of a rooftop, a spike-tipped tail swaying behind it. It gazed out at the sky, a deep frown marring its features as it sighed, its breaths sounding like deep rumbles.  
“Why?” its voice was surprisingly soft, filled with a deep sadness as it whispered to itself, “Why’d you have to go after a kid?”

Its form shook slightly, before its dark scales began to flake away… melting off of its form. Its fanged muzzle pulled into a grimace, and it covered its head, its eyes glowing brightly with a volatile, red energy. It huffed, feeling as one of its wings sank back into its form.  
A second voice echoed from the creature’s core, like a ghostly rasp. “I just got here… let me have a little fun.” Its gaze went foggy for a second, before it seemed to completely shift into something more humanoid, its wicked fangs and claws shrinking back. The black fluid coating it receded into a triangular marking on its chest, which quickly vanished as the beast’s form changed to that of… Blixer.  
Shuddering as the last of the slime vanished, the shape growled, “Your idea of fun is tearing people to shreds!”

He nearly slipped as he stood, only for his left arm to swing around unnaturally, a loud crack resounding as his shoulder seemed to dislocate, his claws digging into the roof shingles. He winced and let out a yelp of pain, scrambling back to sit on top of the roof, his spiked tail coiling around the chimney for support.  
The voice in his head chuckled, “Someone’s cranky.”  
He shot back, “You’re a monster… you almost killed that kid! If they hadn’t hit us in the eye with a rock, you’d have finished the job.” He clung to the rooftop, only wincing slightly as daggerlike claws tore from his fingertips. “I’m a monster…”  
The voice scoffed, “We’re Illusion… it’s in our nature.”  
“We?! No, there is no we because…” Blixer snarled, “I’m not you!” He let go of the roof, gripping at his head. “You’re just a hallucination! I killed you!”  
“Illusion” huffed, “You killed my previous host. There’s a difference.” He materialized as a shadow, sitting next to Blixer. His tail swayed behind him lazily, and an unnaturally wide grin stretched across his face. “Besides, last time I checked, hallucinations couldn’t do this…” He raised a hand, eyes shining.

Blixer suddenly coughed, holding his stomach as his horns drooped. His eye started to leak a black acid, and he felt himself let out a choked hiss, his flesh becoming mottled with scales. He glared at Illusion.  
“Stop! Stop that!” He batted at it with a claw. His voice cracked. “We’re not a dragon!… I’m… not a dragon.”  
Illusion cackled, and Blixer held his head again, nausea racing from his core. “You’re right! We can be anything! Anything we want!” He grinned, before his entire form flickered. He came face to face with Blixer, hissing. “There’s no point in holding back. We’re superior to these pathetic, mortal shapes.”

Blixer opened his mouth to retort, before he heard a sudden noise. He perked up, horns flicking back as a growl ripped from his throat. He glanced around, before he felt his heart stop, fear racing through him as he saw Tio approaching. He was confused for a moment, before he looked at the house he was sitting on, suddenly realizing that it was his own. He sweated nervously.  
“Yxxit.”  
He ducked behind the chimney, feeling Illusion looming over his shoulder as an ethereal apparition.  
“Tio doesn’t normally leave work this early…” He pulled back his sleeve, checking the clock. “It’s only seven thirty…”  
“He probably fixed up all his patients already… since he’s such a good doctor.” Illusion chuckled, “Well… our victim count oughta give him a run for his money…”  
Blixer hissed, trying to keep his voice soft, “If you stop talking, I’ll give you some leftover shards.” He started searching along the rooftop, trying to find a loose shingle… “Just turn us back. Completely.”

Tio always took awhile to find his keys. While he was an expert in the medical field, he was bad at organizing his own belongings. He could identify most infectious diseases at a glance, yet when it came to the ordinary, he had a tendency to fall short. Blixer figured that would give him some extra time, but he didn’t want to risk it.  
“Hurry it up… I don’t have all night.”

Illusion huffed, saying nothing as he vanished, the spikes on his tail and extra horns fading away into sticky dust. Blixer shook himself, breathing heavily, before his claw snagged on one of the roof pieces, a tentative smile quirking at his features. He pulled the tile back, revealing a hole leading straight down to his room.  
He landed on the bed with a soft thump, retrieving a bag of glistening shards from behind his pillow. He braced himself, unwilling to eat the fragments… but unable to repress the hungered emptiness in his core.  
Illusion took control, greedily reaching for the shards. His horns flicked back, and he chuckled lowly. “This’ll last a few… minutes.”  
Blixer squeaked, “Minutes? Those would’ve lasted me a week!”  
The demon laughed, amused by his host’s discomfort. “Eh, we used up most of our power… and I’m always hungry.” Tipping his head back, he downed the glass-like pieces, his acidic saliva quickly dissolving the shards as he sighed, feeling a rush of energy blossom from his core.  
He ran a forked tongue over his fangs, discarding the bag before allowing Blixer to take back control. There was a knock at the door.  
Blixer hurriedly wiped the dust from his face before looking up, yelling, “C-come in!” He winced, realizing how loud he was.  
In their transformed state, Illusion had screeched until their vocal cords were raw, and anything besides a full-on yell sounded raspy and labored. He tried again, forcing the growl out of his tone, “Tio, I’m in here!”

  
The door opened, revealing a slightly bedraggled looking Tio. “Blixer,” Tio greeted. A twinge of worry instantly hit the red shape, and he stood, cautious. The square looked like he’d seen death. His normally happy demeanor was stilted and forced, and he was clutching the medical papers in his hands like a lifeline…  
“What’s wrong?”  
Tio sighed, walking over and sitting on the bed. He held his head in his hands, his voice strained. “There was an influx of trauma patients at the hospital.” He sighed shakily. “I was afraid… that you’d be one of them…”  
Blixer glanced to the side for a second, sensing Illusion’s shadow looming over him. He forced a smile, his tone reassuring. “I’m fine, Tio…” He held out his arms. “See.”  
Tio sighed, “I know… I shouldn’t have doubted you…” He glanced away, before perking up. “Hey, I’m going to make dinner… is there anything you want in particular?”  
Blixer winced as he heard Illusion cackle. “Shards, souls, flesh, hearts!” He shook his head and looked at Tio. “Uh… there’s some instant noodles in the pantry, I think.”  
The square rolled his eyes. “No way. You’re not eating those microwaveable mistakes if I have anything to say about it.” He stood, chuckling as he crossed his arms. “I’m making an exquisite pasta dinner!” Chuckling, the square walked out, muttering about gourmet food.

Blixer watched, glad that he was at the front of Tio’s mind. A swell of admiration rang in his core, and he blushed slightly, glancing out the window.  
As soon as Tio had left, Illusion gagged, “Pasta?! What kind o’ meal is that?!” The Fear Demon materialized at Blixer’s side, hissing. “Would it have killed him to cook some steak?”  
Blixer turned away, scoffing. “Tio’s a good cook, but steak is… not his strong suit.” He glanced at his claws, feeling Illusion’s energy beginning to race from his core. “B-besides… I doubt he’ll be able to stand the sight of blood after what happened at the hospital.”  
There was a moment of tense silence, and Blixer smirked, having bested Illusion. However, as a low chuckle rang out in his head, he sighed, rolling his eye.  
“What now?” he groaned. He held his head, already feeling his form start to glitch out and change, influenced by Illusion’s power. “I just sat down… must you do this every night?”  
The demon cackled, “Unless you want us to go feral and attack your precious lover…” He then hissed, “How’s about this? While Doctor Buzz-Kill’s making pasta… we go and track down a real dinner.”  
Blixer huffed, “You mean viciously hunt down and murder a sentient shape?” He stood, looking under the bed for his laptop. “Fat chance. Just be happy with your shards.”

  
He wiped the dust from the computer’s cover, picking it up and sitting down on the bed. He booted up the systems, squinting as the old, cracked screen flickered to life.  
“What’re ya doing?” Illusion asked. He giggled, “Searching up a way to get rid of me?”  
“Nope.”  
Illusion perked up as Blixer pulled up a database of criminals in the area. He surfed through news articles, rolling up his sleeve and jotting down the names and addresses that came up. He skipped over the petty thieves and traffic violators, his eye lighting up as he came across the bottom of the list, where the worst of the worst were listed.  
Murderers, kidnappers, and the like. Real psychos.  
He grinned, “You’re still hungry?”  
Illusion blinked owlishly. “What are you suggesting?”  
Blixer chuckled, closing the laptop and walking towards the window.  
“Oh, nothing… Just proposing a deal…”

Illusion scoffed, “You say to the demon.” He then shook his head, moving so that he was blocking the window. The light filtered through his incorporeal, shadowy form, casting a dull red glow over Blixer. “So, what’s the deal?”  
Blixer glanced back at the door for a moment, before sighing, seeming conflicted. “I know you have to eat shapes to survive… so why not just hunt down the ones that deserve death anyway?” He chuckled bitterly. “I’m not sayin’ we have to be a vigilante or anything, but… if someone has to die… it shouldn’t be some random kids.” Sighing, Blixer extended a hand to shake. “So, what do you say?”

Illusion’s gaze darted between Blixer and the extended hand. For a second, the red shape thought he’d be denied, but the being only chuckled, “I like it…” His eyes filled with a bright light, and he grabbed Blixer’s hand, his shadowy form vanishing as he returned to his host’s core. “Where to first?”  
Blixer shuddered slightly, his eye flickering, before he sighed, looking up at the still-open trapdoor. “There’s a known arsonist in the area. He escaped from the cops and dropped under the radar… they say he always smells like ash.”  
Illusion grinned. “And guilt.” He took control, his tail swaying in anticipation as he prepared to change forms. “Most Fear Demons would say… guilt taints the soul… and ruins its taste.” He cackled lowly. “But it just makes victims easier to find…”

His eyes dripped with acidic, black energy, and he chuckled, his wings tearing from his back and fanning out. Climbing atop the nearby desk, he jumped up to reach the hole in the roof, his tail thrashing as he scrambled outside. He shook himself, his appearance still shifting… to something monstrous. Standing on the rooftop, he backed up, his legs changing to digitigrade as he did so. Confident that he had enough space to get a running start, he dashed forth, flapping his wings furiously. He broke into a leap, spreading his wings to their full length as he soared through the night.

Triumphant, Illusion let out a shrieking cackle, his eyes shining with malicious glee as he scanned the houses below.  
“What do you think this guy’s fear is?” he sneered. He did a lazy loop in the air, his shadowy form twinkling in the moonlight. “I can’t wait to give him nightmares…”  
Blixer hummed in thought, “Wait… you’re not going to eat them?”  
Illusion cackled again, hysterical. “Of course we are!” He grinned. “We’ll scare him so badly… he’ll pass out in his last living moments…”  
Blixer gave a long-suffering sigh. “Typical.” He ignored his irritation, recalling the address. “Alright, look for 5654 Island Drive… at the intersection to Sprout Street.”  
Illusion nodded, before humming, perplexed. “That’s in the middle of nowhere!” He flapped his wings to quicken his pace. “But… I can sense something in that direction…”  
“Exactly…” Blixer’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Just keep flying. This guy set fire to his own house once… he’s under house arrest, so you should be able to find him…”

Illusion said nothing, giving a snarling sigh as he kept searching for his target. He doubted anyone would dare go outside with a monster lurking about. He had to admit… his rampage on his first few nights controlling Blixer had been a bit much. But now, he couldn’t wait to cause carnage… all for one shape.  
He spotted the house of his target, a fanged grin spreading across his face. He chuckled lowly, beginning to descend towards the building, angling his wings for a soft landing. No need to scare his prey before it was time…  
His claws clattered against the roof as he touched down, and he paced around, trying to find a good spot.  
“What are you waiting for?” Blixer questioned. “Just get it over with.”  
“Quiet… lookin’ for a way in.”

He tapped his talons against one of the roof shingles, a sneer quirking at his features as he found that it was loose. He raised his hind leg, stomping down on the weak spot with a loud crash. He heard a startled yelp from inside. The criminal walked out, looking around in confusion. Illusion chuckled, lounging on the roof without a care in the world.  
“Hey, nice weather we’re having, eh?”  
The pyromaniac star whirled around, his five scarlet eyes widening. He stepped back, holding his hands up.  
Illusion huffed, “Don’t worry… I’m not the police.” He trailed off, letting out a snarl as he spit acid at the shape. The spray of chemicals burned the ground, and the star whimpered. The Fear Demon grinned. “Aw… you like fire, right?” He readied himself to pounce. “I like burning things, too…”

Suddenly, he leapt at the arsonist. The criminal screamed and ran back into the house, narrowly ducking as Illusion clawed at the air, soaring over them. Illusion shrieked, quickly turning on his heel. His tail whipped back and forth, showing his agitation.  
“Rule number one…” He approached, blocking the exit with his large frame. “Never back yourself into a corner when you’re running from a monster.”  
The star screeched, “I’ll call the police!” They reached for the nearest phone, an old looking landline. Illusion tilted his head, spitting a glob of venom at the device. It sparked and melted, destroyed within seconds.  
He chuckled, “Nah… not gonna happen.” He stepped closer, grinning widely. “You know… I bet you’re surprised that I’m not just a mindless beast, huh…”  
The criminal reached for a match, screaming, “I’ll burn you alive!” Their eyes were wild and frightful as they hollered, “Don’t come any closer!”  
They threw the match at Illusion. The creature unhinged his jaw, shooting a spray of acid at the flame. The wood burned and twisted, dropping to the ground as a mangled heap of ash.  
“Nonetheless…. I’m hungry…” Illusion tripped the arsonist with his tail, looming over them. “And you, buddy… you’re the menu.”

The shape could only scream as Illusion suddenly pounced, pinning them to the ground. Their arm was crushed underfoot, and they could feel a few of their ribs snap as the giant creature loomed over them, claws digging into their chest and arms.  
“Alexander Travis Aoki… arrested for arson-related crimes.” Illusion dug his claws into the star, seeing as tears filled their eyes. “The law couldn’t put a stop to your misdeeds… so I will… right here and now… and get some dinner while I’m at it…”  
“Oh Treeangle…” The star whimpered, “You’re going to… to eat me?”  
Illusion cackled. “Well now… what did we do to the others?” He grinned with rows of dripping fangs. “Now… enough talk. Say goodbye…”  
  


The dragon lowered his head. There was a sickening crunch as the shape’s head was snapped into shards, which Illusion instantly absorbed. The body fell to dust soon after, leaving nothing but faintly glowing sand where a shape once stood. Illusion grinned, lapping up the dust before standing to his full height, shaking himself.  
Blixer seemed disgusted, a pang of nausea rushing from his core as the other consciousness gagged, “You’re lucky… I’m used to this.” He regained control, groaning. “Please tell me you’re satisfied….”  
Illusion hummed, “Hmm…. this will have to suffice… for now.” He reappeared as a shadow next to Blixer, his eyes shining with a bored glow. “But don’t expect me to stave off hunger with pathetic shards anymore!”  
Blixer huffed. “I didn’t count on it…”

  
He bristled as he heard a voice outside.  
“I heard a scream.”  
He jumped, startled.  
“Illusion… we’ve gotta go…”  
The being hissed, “Just a second…” He spread his wings, fluttering them for a moment, before huffing. “Next time, I want feathers… bat wings are too mainstream…”  
Blixer urged, “C’mon, Illu… we gotta leave!”  
The door started to open, and Illusion snapped into action. Growling lowly, he spit acid at the lights, casting the room in pitch black. “They’re onto us!”  
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you!”

He hissed a string of blights, scrambling for the window. The door opened just as he hopped out, a familiar blossom peering inside.  
Illusion glanced over his shoulder to see Wolfie, Howl’s older sister, standing inside the house. Her eyes were wide with fear, and as they locked gazes, the blossom shrieked and pelted a rock at him.  
The stone lodged itself in Illusion’s eye, and he screeched, tumbling and tripping as he forced his wings to flap. He blindly flew, forcing himself to ignore the frightened screams that rang out below. Taking to the air, he quickly ascended, the ground becoming a blur, rendered nearly invisible by the cloud cover.

Illusion breathed heavily, although he kept flying.  
Blixer’s voice echoed in his head. “That was a close one.” He seemed anxious. “I… hope we didn’t scare that kid too badly.”

  
Illusion was silent, focusing on the skies.


	3. trouble's brewing

Tio jolted upon hearing the roar, nearly dropping the plate he was carrying. His eyes lit up with a shocked light, and he turned, looking out the window. A shudder went through him… that sounded like a monster… and it was close.  
Shaking his head, he turned the oven to the lowest setting, not wanting the food to burn as he went upstairs to check on Blixer. He had a bad feeling… if the monster was going after cores, a boss shape like Blixer, with one of the strongest types of cores of all, would be the prime target. Tio started to run up the stairs, quickly becoming worried.  
“Blixer?” he called. His heart dropped as the shape failed to answer. Tio quickened his pace. “Blixer!”

  
He reached the door to Blixer’s room, hesitating just as he reached for the doorknob. He backed up, bracing himself for whatever sight was awaiting him…  
He knocked once. No answer. He tried again…. No answer.  
He scowled, “Alright… here I come!”

Opening the door with surprising force, Tio looked around for any signs of Blixer. He froze instantly, his gaze landing on the destroyed state of the room. Books, pillows, and chairs were knocked down. The papers that had been sitting on his desk, Blixer’s beloved sketch arts, were torn and scattered. Panic instantly filled Tio, his heart quickening. He walked around the room to better see the carnage, the only thing keeping him from screaming being the lack of shards or blood. There had been a struggle, but there were no signs of a violent battle.

Tio felt a draft from above, glancing up. His heart stopped as he spotted the gaping hole in the roof, and he winced, grabbing his phone.  
The first number to come up was that of Leyland, followed by Barracuda, then Blixer… The last three people he’d called. Frowning, Tio clicked on the third name, hoping dearly that Blixer was okay.  
“Come on… pick up, pick up…” Tio held the phone to his ear, hoping to hear anything, even just the wind… any sign that Blixer had answered and was even remotely okay.  
After what seemed to be an eternity of waiting… “Sorry, I’m… busy at the minute.” Blixer’s prerecorded voice blared from the phone. The square winced, shaking his head as his eardrums were assaulted. He snarled, listening to the rest of the message. “Sorry. And if that’s you, Tio. no, I’m not dead. Probably…” A forced laugh. “Stop worrying about me and have some fun.”

Tio sighed, tightening his hold on the phone until he heard a crack.  
He growled and threw it onto the bed, crossing his arms.  
However, as the screen lit up with a notification, he perked up, reaching for the device. Leyland’s number flashed on the screen. Tio winced; he must’ve pressed the button on accident…  
Before he could hang up, the blossom’s voice chirped, “Doctor Tio?” She seemed a bit frazzled. “What’s wrong?”  
Tio muttered a blight, “Yxxit.” Leyland always answered within the first two rings. He shook his head and muttered, “Hey… Ley.” He sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “How are things at the hospital?”  
The blossom perked up, “Oh, the normal patients seem to be stabilizing….” she trailed off, before continuing in a hushed tone, “Howl’s doing better, too… the monster only clawed them… some of the bones in their tail got stomped on… but they’re… they’re okay..”  
Tio hummed, “Well, that’s good…” He glanced around. “Did Blixer turn up?” His voice was laced with worry. “I think the monster came here… the room’s trashed, and there’s a hole in the ceiling…”

There was a pause, before Leyland nearly screamed.  
“What?”  
He winced, hearing Leyland’s shock.  
“Don’t worry! There were no shards… no blood, either…” Tio picked up Blixer’s laptop, opening it to see the database. He balanced the phone between his chin and neck, typing something into the computer. “It looks like he was kidnapped… might not have been the monster.”  
Leyland hummed in thought. “Well… Doctor Cuda’s here… if you need help.”  
Tio growled a bit at that, before shaking his head. “That’s great. We need all the help we can get right now.” He maneuvered so that he could type and hold the phone at the same time, taking pictures of the list that Blixer had pulled up. “I’ll be right there… I think I’m onto something…”

There was a long silence, and Tio was about to hang up… however…  
Leyland suddenly stuttered, “W-wait!” Tio perked up, listening intently as the blossom started to ramble again, shaken up. “We just got a report… there was another attack, a few minutes away from your house. It actually killed the shape this time.”  
Tio’s core lurched. ‘What?” He started to panic. “What hue are the shards, Ley?”  
“Calm down! It wasn’t Blixer…” Leyland muttered something, reading through some paperwork that she’d just been handed. “Apparently, the victim was under house arrest for attempting to set fire to his brother’s house. He appealed for mental evaluation and paid his own bail, so they couldn’t lock him up yet.”  
Tio thought for a minute, scrolling down the list. “I found something… on Blixer’s laptop…. A criminal database.”  
“You think he heard the news?”  
Tio checked the time when the page had been opened… he shuddered a bit, uncomfortable with the uncanny correlation of the events. “Ley… when did they find this guy’s corpse?”

Ley chuckled morbidly, “No… he was dust by the time they found him.”  
Tio hissed, “No time for jokes. What time, Leyland?”  
The blossom seemed to wince, before squeaking, “A-about ten minutes ago…”

  
Tio dropped the phone and computer, standing.  
“I’m on my way.”

He dashed out, rushing out to drive to the hospital. He usually walked, as it was only a few minutes away, but he had a feeling that this issue required a quick mode of transport.  
His mind buzzed with confused, anxious thoughts… the time on the computer had read an hour ago… fifty minutes prior to the police even finding the body. Blixer knew the shape was going to die… but Tio had no idea how.  
As he got to the car, he backtracked, realizing that he’d forgotten his keys. Quickly patting his pockets to make sure he didn’t have them, he sighed and walked back into the house, mentally going over his checklist to ensure that he didn’t forget anything else.  
He didn’t want to jump to conclusions… but he had the uncomfortable feeling that something was horribly wrong…

~~~

Illusion finally spoke up after what seemed to be hours of flying.  
“Did you see the look on that guy’s face?” He chuckled. “I mean… right before we ate their face.”  
Blixer huffed, “Not funny, Illusion.”  
The being ignored him, cackling. “And you actually let me shatter them this time! Didn’t know you had it in ya.”  
“Well… only because they were a bad guy. We got rid of him before he could hurt anyone else…”  
Illusion scoffed at that, rolling his eyes. “Keep tellin’ yourself that.”

Several minutes of silence passed, and Blixer found himself becoming bored. He watched the streets below, dimly wondering if this was how Illusion felt when pushed to the back seat… only able to watch, numb to what his other half felt. He sighed.  
“Can we go home now? Tio’s probably worried.”  
Illusion stuck his tongue out, flapping his wings. “Uh… about that… he called like, five times.”  
“What?!” Blixer hollered. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”  
“Yeah. I put your phone on vibrate a few hours ago… it got annoying.” Illusion chuckled, before he started to descend, slowing his fall by fluttering his wings. As he got closer to the ground, his wingbeats started kicking up dust, and he winced, realizing how close he’d landed to the house. He narrowed his eyes, looking for a way in. “Let me tell ya… no shape is truly innocent… and besides, you know that was a better dinner than some bland pasta.”

He landed on the roof softly, spreading his wings once more before they sunk into his sides, vanishing. His tail coiled up next to him, and he looked around, searching for any sign of Tio.  
He perked up at the sound of the phone vibrating in his pocket, his horns flicking up in mild surprise. He looked down at the screen, which displayed Tio’s name in glowing letters.  
Grinning, he whispered, “Hey… what’dya say we give old Tio a good scare?”  
Blixer yanked back control, shuddering. He seemed to wilt, upset by the notion. “I don’t want to hurt Tio.” He knew that Illusion’s influence over him was quite strong. He focused on staying still no matter what, hoping that he could fight off the being’s urges until it gave up on the idea. He hissed, “What is wrong with you? Haven’t you already done enough?”

Illusion chuckled, and Blixer felt a twinge of pain blossom in his core. He winced, hearing as the Fear Demon whispered, “Come on… I promise not to hurt him… just a little scare… then you can go back and eat your dumb pasta…”  
He cackled lowly.  
“But if you don’t cooperate….”

  
  
Blixer shuddered as he heard a loud crack ring out, feeling as spikes tore from his back, along his spine and shoulders. He hissed in pain, breathing heavily as he held his head.  
Illusion sneered, lowering his voice to a taunting purr. “If you don’t cooperate, I’ll go find that little blossom…” Blixer’s claws sharpened on their own accord. He choked, feeling acidic bile rushing up his throat. He wanted to vomit, suddenly crying out as his mind was assaulted with visions of that star… the pyromaniac that they’d trampled to dust. “We’ll find that blossom, and pay her back for that rock she threw…”  
Blixer broke under the pressure, his resolve crumbling.  
“F-fine!” he wheezed. He held his stomach, sighing as Illusion drew back his powers. His core settled. “Just… don’t hurt Tio… please, I couldn’t live with myself if you hurt him…”  
Illusion threw his head back and laughed madly. “I wouldn’t dream of it!” He slid down the rooftop, leaping to the ground. “Ooh… this is gonna be fun…”  
  


The creature stalked around the side of the house, his horns flicking about. His many eyes narrowed, glimmering in anticipation as he searched for the kitchen window. He reared up, peering through and spotting Tio…  
The square was pacing, obviously looking for something. As time passed, he became more frantic, his expression twitching as he mumbled to himself.  
“He always loses his keys…” Blixer muttered. “Hurry up and go, Tio… we’re right here… just run…”

He was cut off as Illusion gave a low, snarling hiss. Tio jumped up, and Blixer wanted to scream as he noticed that he had just located the keys… which had been sitting on top of his scarf on the table the whole time. Blixer internally facepalmed, blighting Tio to the void and back for being in the wrong place at the wrong time…  
Illusion chuckled, “This is gonna be good…” He dragged a claw down the glass, waiting until Tio turned around. As soon as the square looked over, the Fear Demon let out a shrieking roar.

Tio screamed and stumbled back, his grip on the key becoming vice-like from his fear. He winced as he felt the metal edge puncture his palm, tossing the offending object aside as he looked back to the window.  
Illusion smirked, his fangs glinting in the low light. Raising a claw, he smashed the window in a single hit. The smell of blood was heavy in the air… he growled, scrambling through the small entrance, his sights set on Tio.  
The doctor whimpered and staggered back, hiding his injured hand.  
“S-stay back!”

Acidic venom dripped from Illusion’s gaping maw, sizzling as it pooled on the floor. He snarled lowly, his eyes glowing a wild red in the low light.  
Blixer sobbed, “Stop… please.” He didn’t want to watch himself hurt Tio. “He’s terrified.”

Tio shook, and Blixer could hear the faint notes of a fervent song filling the air. The square’s core was racing, his energy skyrocketing in a fight or flight instinct as he tried to get away. He soon hit the fridge, glancing behind himself and shaking his head. Dead end… nowhere left to run.  
“No no no…” He looked back at Illusion, his breaths quick and shallow. “Please… please don’t… please don’t eat me…”

The monster snapped his jaws, then stood up on his hind legs, towering over the square. Blixer saw pure fear in Tio’s eyes, and he suddenly screamed within Illusion’s head, forcing himself into control.  
“THAT’S ENOUGH!” The dragon’s head snapped to the side at an odd angle, and he stumbled, reeling. Illusion hissed, “I’m not hurting him! I promised…” He arched up, snarling as Blixer yelled internally, “You’re going to give him a heart attack!”

Tio watched with wide eyes as the fused being fought. He was unable to understand their hisses and clicks, subtly reaching for a knife on the near table. Breathing heavily, he backed away, not wanting to have to attack the beast.  
Illusion spotted the movement in the corner of his eye, snapping his head towards Tio and hissing. He bristled, his inky form rippling slightly as he growled.  
Tio whispered, “Shapeshifter….” His eyes filled with malice, and he drove the knife through Illusion’s paw, screaming.

The dragon instantly reeled back, Tio being dragged along as he reared up and shrieked. The square was thrown aside, knocking into the opposite wall with a resounding crack. There was a choked yelp as the air was knocked out of him, before he fell silent. His head snapped awkwardly to one side, and Blixer instantly snapped back into control.  
“Oh… Tree…” He lowered himself, approaching the fallen square, his eyes welling up with tears. He shifted back to regular form, dropping to his knees and lifting Tio so that he could check his pulse…. Nothing. He hissed, “Illusion… Blight it… what did you do?”  
The being seemed slightly disturbed. “I… this wasn’t meant to happen…” He appeared as a shadow, looking over Tio sadly. “…I can’t sense any core activity…”

He traced a clawed finger over where his neck should’ve been, making an eerie clicking noise.  
Blixer snarled and batted at Illusion with a claw, looking away as the being drew closer, unaffected by his “attack”.  
The shape’s voice broke as he spoke, his tone haunted. “You… you hurt him.” He held Tio close. “You… killed… him.”  
Illusion’s form dimmed, and he started to fade. However, he quickly perked up as he seemed to hear something, his horns flicking towards Tio. A smile spread across his face. “Don’t count him out yet…”

He chuckled lowly. Blixer narrowed his eye, hugging Tio close.  
“I’m so sorry…” Tears dripped down his face, the acidic liquid burning the fabric of his sleeves as he wiped his eye. “I didn’t mean for this to happen…”  
Illusion only chuckled, looming over the two with a knowing grin.  
“Please… wake up…” Blixer’s eye widened as he heard a faint heartbeat. He jolted. “Tio?”

The square failed to respond. Blixer laid him out on the tile floor, holding a hand over his mouth to check for breathing. Small, hesitant wheezes shook from his core, his lungs struggling to get air. But he was alive… and that was all that mattered.  
Blixer reached to hug the square again, before Illusion hissed, stopping him.  
“What?”  
The being replied with a growl, “His hand…” He pointed to the prone shape’s injured hand, his eyes narrowing. “Blood must have gotten in the wound when he stabbed us…”  
Blixer fidgeted. “And that’s bad… why?” His horns flicked downward, anxiety stinging his heart. “It’s healing him… he would have died, otherwise…”  
“You imbecile!” Illusion hissed, bristling. “He’ll change into a Fear Demon! Yes, it will help him to heal, but at the cost of his mortality…”

Blixer’s expression twisted into one of pure panic, and he propped Tio up against the wall, shaking him. The square’s neck was still horribly disjointed, and Blixer snapped it back into place, a rush of nausea inundating his senses.  
“I think I’m gonna be sick…” He sighed, crossing his arms. “What do we do now?”  
Illusion cackled, “Weak!” He leaned on Blixer’s shoulder, staring at Tio. “You want me to give him a nightmare? That’ll wake him up.”  
Blixer hissed, “No! He’s already terrified!… and infected with a parasitic infection.” He crossed his arms, frowning. “We just have to wait… he’ll wake up… soon.”  
Illusion huffed, “But he’ll still be a Tree-forsaken demon.” He chuckled. “Ya didn’t think o’ that, did ya?”  
Sighing shakily, the shape stood. “Just… just wake him up,” he breathed. He backed away, crossing his arms. “He’s not gonna start mutating, is he?”  
His parasitic shadow shrugged. “I dunno… though that’d be pretty sick.” He chuckled. “It’s a high chance… that it’ll either just heal him and fade away… or become one with his magic.”  
Blixer grimaced, looking down at his claws. “He’ll become like us?” He growled. “Let’s make sure that never happens…”

He sat there, contemplating what to do, until Tio’s eyes suddenly snapped open. His left eye shone with a bright blue glow, which filled the whole eye, like a film of neon. The square sat up, breathing heavily and clutching at his neck.  
“B…Blixer?”  
Illusion squeaked, hiding behind Blixer. The red shape’s eye glimmered, and he found himself smiling widely.  
“Tio… you’re awake!” He pulled the square into a hug without warning, shaking with sobs as he embraced him. “I thought I’d lost you…”

The square winced, hearing a small crack from his neck. He pulled away, coughing a bit.  
“What happened?” His stomach hurt a bit, and his neck felt… loose, for lack of a better word. He groaned, shaking his head. “When did you even get here?”  
He seemed confused… perhaps even a bit disconnected. He stared through Blixer with a blank expression. He seemed to be staring… a bit past him… above his shoulder.  
Blixer stuttered, “N-not important!” He began to elaborate, but before he could speak, the phone rang from the other room.  
“Just a second… I need to take this…” Tio shakily stood, reluctantly accepting Blixer’s help. The red shape fumbled to make sure the square didn’t fall, although he couldn’t help but wince as he saw the large wound on Tio’s hand. Tio managed to make his way to the counter, grabbing his phone and sighing as he read the name. “It’s Ley…” He frowned, recalling his promise to come to the hospital to help out… holding his head, he answered the phone. “Hey… Leyland? Sorry I couldn’t make it…”

He walked into the next room. Blixer lingered, his expression pulled into a tentative smile.  
Tio waited for a response, frowning as he heard a series of frantic… sobs. “Ley?” He walked to the door, a twinge of paranoid fear stinging his core. “Leyland? You there?”  
“The venom!” the phone suddenly blared. Tio had to jerk the phone away from his ear, shaking his head. Leyland continued, “Tio, I’m sorry… oh.. We had to… it was the only way…”

She was incoherent, barely able to form a sentence as she stuttered and cried.  
Tio’s frown became a grimace. “Leyland… calm down. Remember? Deep breaths, please.” He sighed and huffed, “Explain what you found… coherently this time.”

There was a moment of silence as the blossom sighed, struggling to catch her breath. Tio could hear her voice cracking, and he winced, afraid of what news Ley would bring.  
“I’m sorry…. We had to… shatter them… you would have done the same…” she whimpered. Her voice quavered. “There were Tree-forsaken legs coming out of their backs, and I panicked, and Cuda took the shot!” She trailed off, shaking. “… whatever that venom was…. It mutated them.”

Tio’s eyes widened, and he looked at his hand, his head starting to pound again. He clenched a fist, making his way to where he kept the first aid kit.  
“Who was shattered?” He tried to remain calm despite the gnawing anxiety developing in his core. His eyes glistened with a cautious, tentative light, and he asked, “How many?”  
“It was only two… I promise… please don’t-”  
Wrapping a bandage around his hand, Tio cut her off, “Who.”  
“Tio… your siblings.”

He froze.  
Bringing the phone close, he hissed, “Which ones?” His tone was venomous as he growled, “Who. Did. This?”  
Ley squeaked, then continued, “S-Shan… and Juen…” She immediately started hollering, “I’m sorry! There was nothing we could do! They were… becoming… m-monsters!” Her voice took on a haunted, disconnected tone, as if she couldn’t bear to speak of the horrors she’d seen. “They were… in so much pain. They would’ve hurt someone… and themselves…”  
Tio growled. “I’m on my way. Immediately.” He grabbed his lab coat and scarf, rushing to retrieve his keys. He ignored Blixer, focused entirely on his task. He hung up on Leyland before she even respond, a startled squeak being the only thing he heard before he stuffed his phone into his pocket.

Storming out the house, Tio got in the car. The purple van’s engine hummed to life as he turned the ignition, and he sighed, gripping the wheel. This whole situation was spiraling, and it was nice to feel in control for once. His left eye glowed a bit, and he held his head, blinking the light away before starting the car and driving off.


End file.
